Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling, a 48 semester hour program, prepares professional counselors to meet the academic, career, personal, and social needs of culturally and linguistically diverse K-12 student populations. The program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and prepares school counselors to:

Serve as advocates, educational leaders, team members, consultants, and counselors to maximize opportunities for students to succeed academically,

Address the academic, career, and personal/social needs of all students in the school,

Serve as leaders of equity and achievement and be able to address institutional and environmental barriers impeding student progress,

Through the collection and dissemination of data, advocate for systemic change to promote student achievement and academic success,

Become managers of resources and partnership builders, enlisting the support of parents, agencies, and community members.

This handbook contains information essential for graduate students in the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies Counselor Education Program. It is designed to provide students with information necessary to successfully complete graduate studies in the program. Like the Graduate Catalog, the handbook is in effect when a student enrolls and is the final authoritative document outlining the program's requirements. Download the Counselor Education Graduate Student Handbook in PDF format.

Admission into the M.Ed. School Counseling program is a competitive process requiring applicants to meet the standards and criteria of the UNLV Graduate College and the specific requirements of the Department of Educational & Clinical Studies. Applicants will be responsible for ensuring that their application files are complete and submitted before the appropriate deadline. To this end, applicants will need to include in their application a current e-mail address as all correspondence will be done electronically. The admission process is somewhat complex in that the Graduate College and the Department of Educational & Clinical Studies have separate requirements that applicants will have to meet. Because of this, applicants will need to understand the importance of submitting the proper material to the proper places.

To ensure the most favorable consideration for admission into the M.Ed. school counseling program, applicants should:

Meet the University of Nevada, Las Vegas standards for admission into the Graduate College; and,

Achieve an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75, with a minimum of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate work.

All M.Ed. degree applicants will upload the following application items, by the appropriate deadline, directly to the Graduate College:

Three Letters of Recommendation that must include referenceers' contact information. Ideally, these recommendations will come from professors, professionals in the human services field, and/or employers who can address the applicant's qualifications and potential for graduate study, the counseling field, or both. (Friends, family members, and acquaintances will not be acceptable references.)

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit all application materials well in advance of the deadlines.

This handbook contains information essential for graduate students in the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies Counselor Education Program. It is designed to provide students with information necessary to successfully complete graduate studies in the program. Like the Graduate Catalog, the handbook is in effect when a student enrolls and is the final authoritative document outlining the program's requirements.

Before completing 16 hours OR by the 6th week of the semester of admission if 12+ hours (taken prior to admission) will be considered as part of the degree program. To be submitted with Master's Proposed Program Part 2 and Advisory Committee Form.

Before completing 16 hours OR by the 6th week of the semester of admission if 12+ hours (taken prior to admission) will be considered as part of the degree program. To be submitted with Master's Proposed Program Part 1 and Advisory Committee Form.

Applications for practicum must be filed by the appropriate deadline in the semester before the clinical experience will occur. Students will not be permitted to register for the practicum unless an application is on file with all the necessary departmental and faculty approvals. The application form is available in the CED Field Experiences Portal.

Applications for internship must be filed by the appropriate deadline in the semester before the clinical experience will occur. Students will not be permitted to register for the internship unless an application is on file with all the necessary departmental and faculty approvals. The application form is available in the CED Field Experiences Portal.

A comprehensive examination is required of all students enrolled in the Counselor Education program. The comprehensive exam is taken during the final semester or one semester after students complete all course work. Comprehensive exams are offered only during the fall and spring semesters. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS ARE NOT OFFERED DURING THE SUMMER. If students will be completing course work during the summer session, the comprehensive exam may be taken during the previous spring semester. Students must have applied for graduation with the Graduate College to be eligible to register for the comprehensive examination.

The comprehensive examination will be administered two times per year on campus. The administration dates will typically be in October and in February. Students will be notified of the location of the exam via email. Comprehensive exam application deadlines are one month prior to the examination date. Students must register with their faculty advisor to take the comprehensive examination. The faculty advisor will advise the program coordinator of intent to take the examination. If students have not received official confirmation from the program coordinator, they will not be permitted to participate in the examination process.

The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) is administered as the comprehensive exam. There is no official study guide for this examination. However, the CPCE website does provide additional information that could prove helpful when preparing for the examination.

Each student is responsible for paying the administration fee. On the day of the examination, the student will bring a personal check, money order, cashier's check, or money gram made out to CPCE. NO CASH ACCEPTED. This fee is non-refundable!

Students who do not pass the comprehensive examination will be required to retake the exam at the next regular administration. Students may take the examination a maximum of three times. If after the third time a student does not pass the comprehensive exam, then the student may be dismissed from the program or may be required to complete additional coursework or training. Please Note: Students must be enrolled in at least one course in order to take the comprehensive exam.

Enrollment in practicum and internship are considered critical experiences for successful completion of the masters programs in Professional School Counseling. Primary goals of both practicum and internship are to develop counseling skills and to promote the development of the student's professional counselor identity in an organization compatible with their program emphasis area. Practicum and Internship activities will take place at departmentally approved sites with appropriately qualified supervisors where the intern can work with clients appropriate for the student's program emphasis. Professional School Counseling students are assigned to internship sites by CCSD but are able to request school level (elementary school, middle school, high school), preferred location in town, and in some cases may request a specific school.

For a complete listing of information related to practicums and internships, refer to the Practicum-Intern Handbook (Word | PDF)

Application for Practicum & Internship

Applications for practicum and internship must be filed by the appropriate deadline in the semester before the clinical experience will occur. Students will not be permitted to register for either practicum or internship unless an application is on file with all the necessary departmental and faculty approvals. Students are required to consult with their Advisor regarding these applications in order to ensure that all prerequisites have been met prior to participation in these experiences. All students are required to get fingerprinted prior to the start of practicum and internship. Students should keep an updated fingerprints in their records.